On Sunday, 26 February 2012, I broadcast a new episode of my live Philosophy in Action Webcast, where I answer questions on the application of rational principles to the challenges of living a virtuous, happy, and free life in a live, hour-long webcast. The webcast is broadcast live every Sunday morning at 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET. In the webcast, I broadcast on video, Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers is on audio, and the audience is in a text chat.
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The Podcast: Episode: 26 February 2012
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- Duration: 1:15:06
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The Segments: Episode: 26 February 2012
The following segments are marked as chapters in the M4A version of the podcast. Thanks to Tammy Perkins for helping compile the show notes!
Introduction (0:00)
This week, Trey was visiting, but mostly I’ve ben sick. I’m also working on moving NoodleFood to Philosophy in Action – and from Blogger to WordPress.
Question 1: Consent in Sex (3:39)
What constitutes consent in sex? Can a person give tacit consent by his or her actions? Is explicit consent required for some sex acts? Once consent has been given, when and how can a person withdraw that consent? Does the legal perspective on these questions differ from the moral perspective?
My Answer, In Brief: To consent to sex requires communicating a willingness engaging in the act, whether by word or deed. Consent can be withdrawn at any point, and for the other person to ignore that constitutes sexual assault.
Links:
- Law Prof on the Loose: Rape Law by Jon Siegel
- Wikipedia: Rape and Spousal Rape
- Dept. of Justice: An Updated Definition of Rape
- Colorado Revised Statutes: Title 18, Article 3, Part 4
- Boston Globe: On campus, an absurd overregulation of sexual conduct by Cathy Young
Question 2: Terminating Online Versus In-Person Acquaintances (45:34)
What’s the proper threshold for cutting off a digital versus in-person acquaintance? Morally, when it is wrong to end your friendly interactions with an in-person acquaintance? And when is it wrong not to do so? Does the answer differ for a digital acquaintance – meaning, for example, someone that you know only via Facebook?
My Answer, In Brief: No hard and fast rules can apply here, simply because the nature of online and in-person relationships varies so much. However, every person ought to make sure that his relationships, whether primarily online, in-person, or a mixture of both, serve his purposes well.
Links:
- NoodleFood: Illusion in Social Media by Diana Hsieh
Question 3: Compensating the Victims of Your Negligence (51:48)
What should you do for a person that you injured in a car accident that was your fault? Does a person have moral obligations – over and above any legal obligations – to the victim, since the accident was due to your own carelessness or mistake?
My Answer, In Brief: If you’ve harmed someone by your negligence, your moral and legal obligation is to make them whole by compensating them for the harm you’ve caused.
Question 4: The Meaning of Faith (54:44)
Is it wrong to use “faith” to mean “trust and confidence in a person”? Some people talk about having “faith” in their friends or in themselves – and by that, they mean that they trust and have confidence in those people. Is it wrong to use “faith” in that way? In other words, blind faith is wrong, but is all faith blind faith?
My Answer, In Brief: The term “faith,” when used to refer to trust or confidence in a person, suggests that such is not justified or warranted based on facts. That’s why I avoid the term, and I suggest that others do the same. However, a person is not corrupt for using it.
Rapid Fire Questions (1:07:59)
In this segment, I answered a variety of questions off-the-cuff. The questions were:
- Is a person rationally considered “male” or “female” based upon: (a) their genitals or other anatomical parts of their body which are involved in sexual reproduction, or (b) or their emotional and psychological wishes to be a man or a woman?Should states have referendums on gay marriage?
- Has social media or technology changed how people engage each other for sex?
- Has social media or technology changed how people engage each other for sex?
- Should states have referendums on gay marriage?
Conclusion (1:13:59)
Comments or questions? Contact us!
- Diana Hsieh: Philosophy in Action: diana@philosophyinaction.com
- Greg Perkins: Objectivist Answers: greg@eCosmos.com
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